Arne Slot refuses to get too excited about being top of the Premier League, insisting Liverpool have had an easier start than their rivals.

Liverpool are one point clear of Manchester City and Arsenal and Slot is the first Reds boss to win eight of his first nine matches. Slot knows the fixture computer has been kind to Liverpool and Nottingham Forest, who registered a shock win at Anfield, are the only top-10 side they have faced.

As a big a psychological hurdle winning at Old Trafford has proved for Liverpool under Jurgen Klopp, Tottenham’s destruction of Erik ten Hag’s Manchester United has put last month’s win into perspective. By contrast, Arsenal have already played at City, Aston Villa and Tottenham, impressively recording two wins and a draw.

City have had Arsenal at home and they have also been to Chelsea and Newcastle, picking up four points.

Slot said in the Bologna matchday programme: “The results at the weekend mean we are currently top of the Premier League and this is something the players should be pleased with of course.

“But at the same time, we know that the fixtures we’ve had at the start of the season have not been as hard as they have been for other teams. This isn’t about dampening excitement because we always want our supporters to believe in what we’re doing and the possibilities it may bring.

“It’s about being realistic and understanding our own progress because by doing this, we can keep obtaining the information that we need to keep on improving.”

Slot is conscious of the 2022-23 campaign when Liverpool finished fifth in the Premier League - the only time they missed out on the Champions League in a full season under Klopp. For Slot, this showed how difficult it is to combine the two competitions and is wary of the challenges of playing every three or four days.

“If we can keep on being serious in our approach in this way, it can only help us, especially because this is our first season back in the Champions League after missing out last time round,” said the Reds head coach.

“Playing Saturday-Wednesday-Saturday in two competitions is always a big challenge in so many ways. It tests our squad, our preparation, our recovery, our ability to cope with different pressures and so many other things besides.

"Staying humble, keeping our feet on the ground and knowing there is a lot of hard work and improvement still required is not just the right way for us, it’s the only way.”